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Bohol Is A Great Place To Visit
The Bohol Bee Farm Bohol is
perhaps the fastest growing tourist destination in the Philippines. It
offers great diving sites, pristine beaches and of course the famous
Chocolate Hills. And lest I forget, the tarsiers, cute little primates
that the young and old cannot help but adore, and a host of old Spanish
churches. It's popularity of has led to hotel shortages. And
while planning a trip there, no rooms were found anywhere. By chance, a
friend of mine called and I told him about my dilemma of having booked the
flights but not having been able to find an accommodation. “Try these
two,” he replied and sent me an email with two telephone numbers and web
links to the Bee Farm and the Ananyana. We decided to split our five-day trip and stay
a few nights in each of these places. The two boutique resorts could not
have been any more different in approach and the clientele they wish to
reach and yet, in terms of service and heartfelt sincere hospitality, they
were second to none. The Bohol Bee Farm In the midst of pine and mango trees with lots of shady areas
and a gorgeous massage corner right on the cliff, the resort consists of
eight double rooms all facing the sea, two rooms for up to six people over
the restaurant, a common area and what used to be the owners’ original
rest house with a private terrace right onthe edge of the cliff for up to 10
people. A small staircase leads down to a stony seaside where, at low
tide, plenty of crabs, sea urchins and starfish can be seen just by
walking through the jagged rocks and cliffs lining this part of the
island. Vicky Wallace the owner, entrepreneur and omnipresent personality
behind the Bohol Bee Farm is also an avid organic farmer. Vicky is never
too tired to make one more tour around the farm, showing off the various
plants, vegetables, fruits and a multitude of beautiful flowers throughout
the resort and the surrounding area. Tired of the tour around the farm we
went back to the resort and were invited to learn more about the raffia
products of the farm (raffia-making is an old tradition throughout the
region and raffia-woven garments are made from the fiber of a tropical
palm tree). There is also a house-owned bakery amidst the resort producing
a daily array of organic muffins and very light and crusty kamote (sweet
potato) bread. All served as merienda (snack) with the various homemade
honey and herb spreads. Our two young children thoroughly enjoyed the short horseback ride
around the farm and they also learned about bee-farming and honey-making
simply being kids, they ran around the garden without fear. The Bee Farm is the perfect getaway for a completely
different experience from what is regularly available in hotels, malls and
shops around Manila. The Bee Farm educates the interested and will not
intrude on those seeking privacy, togetherness and relaxation. These few
days at the Bee Farm have taught our children different values, insights
and experiences that they would simply miss out in the city they live in.
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